When do I plant out perennials?

[happyhippy]

I'm on holiday at the mo( )lol,and at home.I decided to dig some borders in my front garden which is fairly open and in a rural situation.Today I went to a garden centre,and brought 12 french lavenders(to line the front path with)and 5 other mixed perennials.When I was paying for them,I asked the garden assistant would it be ok to plant them out now,he said yes.So I got home,started digging my borders and a neighbour asked what I was doing.When I told him,he said "Plant the lavenders but don't plant the perennials until May!!!!! May?Is he serious?I know a frost would damage/kill them,but May????Seems abit late to me,but I'm new to perennials.Could some kind person out there please advise me?Is it really ok to plant out the lavender now or am I risking losing it? Thankyou x

[Green Aura]

It depends what they are and how they've been grown really.

If they're hardy perennials that have been outside throughout then planting them straight out should be no problem (like the lavender). If they're tender perennials that have been under cover until now then you'll need to plant them out after the risk of frost is gone (and, of course, protect them next winter etc).

[happyhippy]

Thankyou Greenaura!All the plants were brought at a plant nursery and were outside,but on a raised type display waist high?Do you think I could plant them this week or next and they'll be ok?Including the lavender?

[pelmetman]

Hi HH

If it was me I would plant them out now, sure they will be OK. I have a cottage type garden and grow loads of perennials and have planted at all times of the year except, of course, when the ground is frozen.

Not sure what part of the country you live in but here in Lincolnshire I have found it very hard to grow the French Lavenders, the good old English Lavender is fine. A few years back we bought a lot of French Lavender I think they were called Fat Head with the intention of making a small hedge (like box hedging) around a garden bench, unfortunately we lost the lot over the winter period. Hope you have more luck with them than we did.

Sue

[wulf]

Have you got any more details of what they are apart from "mixed perennials"?

Wulf

[Millymollymandy]

Lavendar is a perennial and the only reason to not plant them now which is the optimum time (apart from Sept/October) is if they had been inside a greenhouse in a garden centre, in which case they would have needed hardening off in a cold frame for a week or two. As you said they were outside then now is the time to plant so they can get their roots down asap.

[oldjerry]

Sorry to disagree,but if they're HARDY perrenials they shouldn't need protecting next winter,just check the label doesn't class them as HHP (half-hardy)>

[boboff]

Lavendar is a perennial and the only reason to not plant them now which is the optimum time (apart from Sept/October) is if they had been inside a greenhouse in a garden centre, in which case they would have needed hardening off in a cold frame for a week or two. As you said they were outside then now is the time to plant so they can get their roots down asap.

Hi

I got some plug plant lavender from Holland, I have potted on to 24 cell trays.

They look ok, do you think I need to put in bigger pots or leave them in the cold frame for 4 weeks or so and then plant them straight out>?

[happyhippy]

Hi all again!Abit of an update!I planted all my perennials over a week ago now and they all look pretty good to me!They all seem to be sprouting new leaves,I gave them a good watering in when first planted,and just watered them today.Someone mentioned not to grow Lavender but the village where I live has lots of lavender so it must be ok.Thankyou all for the advice,much appreciated!x

[Millymollymandy]

Lavendar is a perennial and the only reason to not plant them now which is the optimum time (apart from Sept/October) is if they had been inside a greenhouse in a garden centre, in which case they would have needed hardening off in a cold frame for a week or two. As you said they were outside then now is the time to plant so they can get their roots down asap.

Hi

I got some plug plant lavender from Holland, I have potted on to 24 cell trays.

They look ok, do you think I need to put in bigger pots or leave them in the cold frame for 4 weeks or so and then plant them straight out>?

I have last year's rooted cuttings still in the cold frame but they need potting on and I'll plant them out probably this autumn. The previous year's cuttings I planted into a nursery bed last year during the summer months then transplanted them to their final place in the autumn and they survived all that despite being small (now about 3-4" high the small variety and about 5-6" the larger variety). They even had a few little flowers during the summer! so I would think yours will be OK in the cell trays then being planted straight out into their final place in about 4 weeks.

I think the main thing is to protect little plants from cat scratching or inadvertent weeding so I put little cages made of fence wire around mine, helps to spot where they are in amongst more mature plants too!

[boboff]

Great, thanks for this.

I love lavender as a plant, and I really want to propogate loads, so I really want these to get a good head start.

The fact I have cold water logged clay soil will NOT stop me, trully the application of Optimism over experience.

[Millymollymandy]

Well put a lot of grit/gravel in the planting hole or even a bed of gravel underneath and hopefully that will do the trick. I've got the kind of soil that lavender loves so I'm propagating more and more because sometimes I just have to give in and give my driest flower beds over to lavender, thyme, oregano, sedums and grasses!